Romance Of Freedom
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The first time that I met him was in the summer of 1864. As a matter of fact, it was on my birthday—the twenty-third of June. It had been raining for four days and there were no horses to be found anywhere; we were all getting pretty desperate.
We had just come down out of the mountains into a small valley called Kettle Creek Valley, when suddenly from behind us came this great black horse with two white spots on his forehead. He didn’t seem frightened at all as he trotted up to me and nuzzled around my legs.
Then he turned toward the others and began neighing loudly until they all started laughing. The minute that I got off of him, he took off running back toward where we had come from, leaving everyone else standing there staring after him.
“What’s wrong?” asked one of them. “Why are you looking so glum? You’ve just received your very own personal mount!”
I wasn’t really sure what to say about it because I hadn’t even thought about having a horse. So instead, I said something like: “Well, if that is true then why don’t any of the other men have their own mounts too?”
They all laughed again and told me not to worry, that I’d soon find out who owned which horses and how many each man did or didn’t have. They also explained to me that since most people wanted to keep their horses close by in case they needed them during an emergency, only those men with enough money could afford to buy more than one horse.
Now, I’ll tell you right now that I had never seen anyone riding a horse before and I certainly had no idea of how to ride one myself. But once I saw how much fun my new friend was having galloping around the valley, I decided to give it a try. After all, I reasoned, he seemed to know exactly what he was doing.
So I mounted him and held onto the saddle horn while he ran around in circles. And then, after several minutes, I let go of the reins completely. That’s when he went crazy! He reared up on his hind legs and kicked out in the air. His hooves made such loud noises against the ground that I couldn’t believe it. In fact, he sounded almost as though he were stomping on rocks.
He kept kicking and bucking for quite a long time, but finally, I managed to get control over him again. Then I rode him back to where the rest of our company was waiting. When I dismounted, they all crowded around me asking questions about the horse.
I told them that I didn’t know anything about horses, except that they were big animals with four legs. Then they showed me how to groom him and feed him and everything else that goes along with keeping a horse.
It was a lot of hard work, especially since we had to do all of the grooming ourselves. Horses need to be brushed every day and fed twice a day. My friends would bring their horses over to me whenever they needed to be cleaned up. By the end of the week, I had learned how to clean and brush a horse properly. I also discovered that horses love to roll in the dirt.
By the following Sunday, we had reached the town of New Castle. There was a large army camp nearby where General Grant’s men were bivouacked. We stopped there briefly to see if we could find some food, but we didn’t have any luck. All of the stores were closed and locked up tight.
The soldiers were still inside the tents sleeping off a good night’s sleep.
We left the next morning and headed south toward Richmond. At least that is where we hoped to reach. Our main goal was to capture the Confederate capital city. But after spending three weeks traveling through Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Ohio, we realized that it wouldn’t happen anytime soon.
There were thousands of Union troops marching northward, but there weren’t nearly enough of them to take the entire state. And besides, the Confederates had plenty of reinforcements coming in from Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, and Florida.
Even though they outnumbered us, they were spread far too thin to stop us.
As we traveled farther and farther away from the coast, the weather became colder and wetter. One afternoon, we passed a large farmhouse that looked abandoned. We stopped there and found a man sitting in front of the fireplace drinking a cup of coffee.
He was dressed in blue overalls, which made him look like a farmer.
When he saw us approaching, he stood up and walked outside. As soon as he got closer, I recognized him immediately. It was Captain John Mosby, the famous guerrilla fighter who had been fighting for the Confederacy ever since the war began.
“Gentlemen,” he said, “Welcome to Virginia.”
“What are you doing here?” I asked him. “You’re supposed to be somewhere in Tennessee.”
Captain Mosby smiled and shook his head. “No, I’m not. I came up into this part of the country because I heard that you were heading this way. I figured that you might need help.”
“How did you hear about us?” I asked.
He shrugged. “Everyone knows who you are. What do you think happened last year when you crossed the Potomac River? Everyone in Washington, D.C., knew that you had done it. And everyone in Richmond, Virginia, knew that you had done it.
So I guess that means that everyone in Virginia has known about it for months now.”
I nodded. “That makes sense. We’ve become quite famous down here.”
He grinned. “Well, I hope that you don’t mind, but I brought a few of my men with me. They can serve as guides for your group. I’ll leave them behind when we hit Richmond. You won’t even notice they’re gone.”
“Are you sure?” I asked. “If we run into any trouble, we may need all of the help that we can get.”
The captain chuckled. “Don’t worry. I’ve fought men just like you before. If we run across any of General Robert E. Lee’s troops, we should be able to handle them easily. Besides, I’m only going to be leading one squad. The rest of my boys will stay hidden until we get to Richmond.”
“Thank you so much,” I replied. “We really appreciate your offer of assistance. I wish that we could accept it, but we can’t spare anyone right now.”
The captain frowned. “Why not?”
“Because we’re trying to capture Richmond,” I explained. “And we haven’t captured anything yet. In fact, we’ve barely gotten out of Maryland.”
“Oh,” Captain Mosby said. “So what are you planning on doing then? Just give up?”
I shook my head. “Of course not. We’re going to keep moving forward. We’ll probably try to make it to the sea at Norfolk or Portsmouth. After that, we’ll decide whether to go east or west once we cross the ocean.”
“Good luck,” Captain Mosby told me. Then he turned around and went back inside the house. A moment later, several of his men came out and joined us.
They introduced themselves as Lieutenant Colonel William Buford and Major James Riggs. Both of them were well-known guerrillas who had served under General Nathan Bedford Forrest during the Civil War.
“Thanks for bringing these two along,” I said to Captain Mosby. “We’d be lost without them.”
“Not a problem,” he replied. “It’s nice to have some friendly faces around again.”
“Do you know how to get to Richmond?” I asked.
Buford gave me an odd look. “Why do you want to go there?”
“Because that’s where the Confederate government is located,” I answered. “General Lee needs to be defeated, and I think that Richmond would be a good place to start.”
“But why?” he asked. “What difference does it make if he wins or loses?”
“I don’t care about politics,” I insisted. “All I care about is winning the war. That’s the only thing that matters to me.”
“Fair enough,” he agreed. “I suppose that you’re right. But let me ask you something: Why do you hate the Yankees so much?”
“Who says that I hate them?” I demanded.
“Just answer the question,” he said.
“Fine,” I grumbled. “Yes, I hate the Yankees. Because they killed my father. And because they destroyed everything that I love.”
“I see,” he said. “Well, I hope that you find peace someday.”
“I already found it,” I replied. “In the form of a beautiful woman named Sarah.”
Lieutenant Colonel Buford looked over at Sarah. She was standing next to me, holding my hand. He smiled. “She’s very pretty.”
“Yeah,” I admitted. “I guess she is.”
Sarah blushed. “Thank you.”
“Now, why don’t you tell me about Richmond?” the lieutenant colonel suggested. “Maybe I can help you figure out a way to get there.”
***
A little while later, we left the farmhouse and started walking toward Richmond. I was glad to have the extra manpower. With the three of them helping me, we were able to move faster than ever.
As soon as we got outside of town, we ran into our first real challenge. Five Union soldiers stepped out from behind a tree and pointed their rifles at us.
“Freeze!” one of them shouted. “Hands in the air! Don’t make a sound or else we’ll shoot you dead!”
“Hold it,” I ordered. “You’re going to regret that.”
I took off running toward the enemy. When I reached them, I grabbed one of the rifles and threw it away. Then I punched him hard in the face. Before he knew what happened, I knocked him unconscious with another punch.
“Get ’em, boys!” I yelled.
One of my men pulled out his gun and shot the other four. They fell to the ground, writhing in pain.
“That wasn’t necessary,” Sarah protested.
“No, it wasn’t,” I agreed. “But they were about to kill us. So I decided to take action before it was too late.”
“I understand,” she sighed. “I’m sorry that I didn’t stop you.”
“Don’t apologize,” I said. “We’re supposed to protect each other, remember?”
“Right,” she nodded. “But I still feel bad about it.”
“There’s nothing to be ashamed of,” I assured her. “If you hadn’t stopped me, I might have killed those five men instead of just knocking them out. You did the right thing by stopping me.”
“Okay,” she said. “Let’s continue on our way.”
We continued down the road until we reached a small river called the Tred Avon River. It was wide enough for boats to sail across, but it wasn’t deep enough to swim in. The water was clear enough to see through, which made it easy for us to follow.
“This looks like a good spot to cross,” I observed. “Can you lead us to the other side?”
“Sure,” she replied. “Follow me.”
She walked up to the edge of the bank and jumped into the cold waters. I followed suit, and then we both swam across the river. Once we reached the opposite shore, we climbed out of the water and dried ourselves off.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
“Of course I am,” she replied. “I’ve been swimming since I was a child.”
“Good,” I said. “Then let’s keep going.”
We kept moving forward, following the river upstream. After a few hours of walking, we finally came upon a bridge that crossed the river. We could see smoke rising from several buildings nearby.
“Looks like we found Richmond,” I said excitedly. “We should probably head inside.”
“Do you think that we can trust these people?” Sarah wondered. “They look like they belong to the Union Army.”
“I don’t know,” I shrugged. “But I don’t really care either way. Let’s go talk to them and see what happens.”
So we approached the bridge and began talking to the guards who were posted there. There were two of them: an elderly man and a young boy. Both of them wore uniforms that had red crosses embroidered on the front.
“What do you want?” the old man demanded.
“We need to cross this bridge,” I explained. “Is it safe to come here?”
“It’s not safe for you to be here,” the guard replied. “The Union has taken control of Richmond, so you shouldn’t stay any longer than you have to. If you try to leave now, you’ll likely be captured.”
“Why would we want to run away?” I asked. “We’re trying to get home.”
“Well, if you’re looking for your families, you won’t find them here,” the soldier told me. “All of the civilians have been evacuated to safety. Now, please turn around and go back where you came from.”
“I’m afraid that isn’t possible,” I informed him. “My wife and son are trapped in Richmond. I need to rescue them.”
“And how exactly will you accomplish that?” he asked.
“By crossing this bridge and getting to Richmond,” I answered. “Now, can we cross the bridge?”
“Yes,” the guard admitted reluctantly. “But only after you give me your name and rank.”
“Fine,” I sighed. “My name is John Smith, and I’m a captain in the Confederate Army. My son is named William. Do you mind letting us pass?”
“Very well,” the guard agreed. “But you must promise to return to your camp immediately once you reach the other side.”
“We promise,” I confirmed.
“Alright, then,” the soldier said. “Go ahead.”
He opened the gate and allowed us to walk onto the bridge. He closed it behind us as soon as we passed through.
“Thank you,” I said. “You saved my life.”
“Not at all,” he replied. “As long as you promised to leave, I couldn’t allow you to stay.”
“Oh,” I said. “Sorry about that.”
“No problem,” he chuckled. “Now, go on. Get out of here before the Union catches you.”
“Thanks again,” I said.
Sarah and I continued walking along the bridge until we reached the end. Then, we turned left and started heading north towards Richmond.
***
After walking for another hour or so, we finally arrived in Richmond. It was a large city with many tall buildings, including some that had been destroyed during the war. But most of the structures remained intact, and there weren’t any signs of looting or destruction anywhere else.
“Wow,” Sarah gasped. “Look at all of those people!”
There were thousands of men, women, and children milling about the streets. They were carrying everything from guns and ammunition to food and clothing. Some of them even had horses tied up outside their homes.
“Where did everyone come from?” I wondered aloud.
“They must have escaped from the Union,” one woman explained. “When General Lee surrendered, they forced him to evacuate his troops.”
“General Robert E. Lee?” I asked.
“That’s right,” she nodded. “He’s the general who led the Confederate Army.”
“How did he surrender?” I asked. “Didn’t he fight to the death?”
“Yes, but when the Union Army surrounded him, he realized that he didn’t stand a chance,” the woman explained. “So, instead of fighting to the bitter end, he decided to take his own life rather than face certain defeat.”
“That sounds horrible,” I said. “I mean, why wouldn’t he just keep fighting? Why would he choose to die over living?”
“Because he knew that the Confederacy was doomed,” the woman explained. “His army wasn’t strong enough to beat the Union, and the South was never going to win without more help. So, he chose to save himself and his soldiers by giving up.”
“I guess that makes sense,” I mused. “But still, it seems like such a waste.”
“Don’t worry about it,” the woman said. “At least he died doing what he loved, which is leading soldiers into battle.”
“Yeah,” I sighed. “I suppose that does make things easier.”
“Excuse me,” another woman called out. “Do either of you know where we can find a doctor?”
“A doctor?” I asked. “Are you injured?”
“No, actually,” the woman shook her head. “My husband is wounded. We need to find someone who knows how to treat bullet wounds.”
“If you don’t mind my asking, why do you need a doctor?” I asked. “Didn’t you escape from the Union?”
“Yes, we did,” she nodded. “But our car broke down somewhere along the way, and we got separated. Now, my husband needs medical attention, and I’m not sure where to look.”
“Okay,” I said. “What kind of wound is he suffering from?”
“It’s bad,” she whispered. “He has two bullets lodged inside of him.”
“Two?” I gasped. “How did he get shot twice?”
“The first time, he was hit in the leg,” she explained. “Then, while we were running away, he has shot again in the stomach.”
“Well, I hope he gets better soon,” I said. “In the meantime, let me ask around and see if anyone knows where we can find a doctor.”
“Thank you,” she smiled. “I really appreciate your help.”
“No problem,” I assured her. “Just be careful. The Union may still be looking for you.”
“Of course,” she nodded. “And thank you again. You’ve already done more for us than I could ever repay.”
“Anytime,” I smiled.
After talking to several different people, I managed to track down a man named Dr. William H. Gentry. He was an older gentleman with gray hair and a beard. His clothes looked clean and well-made, but he also wore a pair of glasses that made him look like a scholar.
“Hello, sir,” I greeted him as I approached. “Is this the place where you practice medicine?”
“Yes, it is,” he replied. “Why don’t you come inside?”
Dr. Gentry led me through the front door and into his office. There was a desk in the corner, and a few chairs lined the walls. A small table stood near the window, and there were four bookshelves filled with various medical texts.
“Please, sit down,” he gestured towards one of the chairs.
“Thank you,” I took a seat on the edge of the chair. “Now, what exactly are your qualifications?”
“I graduated from Harvard Medical School back in 1864,” Dr. Gentry told me. “I then went on to work at Johns Hopkins Hospital before moving here.”
“You’re a real doctor?” I asked. “Not some fake?”
“Of course,” he laughed. “I’m the only doctor in town. And I’m very good at what I do.”
“Really?” I sat forward in my chair. “I thought all doctors were fakes.”
“Oh, no,” he shook his head. “There are plenty of honest physicians out there. But most of them live too far away for patients to reach easily.”
“I understand,” I nodded. “But what about the ones who aren’t so honest?”
“Those kinds of people usually go into business for themselves,” Dr. Gentry explained. “Or else they open up their own private practices.”
“So, you’re saying that those types of doctors don’t have to follow any rules or regulations?” I asked.
“They can set whatever prices they want,” Dr. Gentry agreed. “And they can refuse to treat certain patients because of their race, gender, religion, or anything else.”
“Wow,” I muttered. “That’s terrible.”
“Fortunately, I don’t fall under that category,” Dr. Gentry chuckled. “My hospital closed down years ago, but I decided to stay here anyway. It just seemed like a nice place to settle down.”
“I bet it is,” I smiled. “Wherever I end up next, I’ll definitely keep that in mind.”
“Good luck finding a new home,” Dr. Gentry said. “You should probably start by checking out the newspaper. They always list available properties in the classifieds section.”
“Thanks,” I gave him a nod. “I think I will.”
“Bye now!” Dr. Gentry waved goodbye.
The End